To celebrate Palm Sunday, the Greater Framingham Community Church will host the prestigious Houghton College Choir to sing songs of praise and joy marking the beginning of Holy Week.

As part of its 2012 “Awaken My Heart With Gladness Tour,’’ the 72-member choir from the college in Houghton, N.Y., will sing during the Franklin Street church’s Sunday morning service on April 1 at 10 a.m. and at 3 p.m. perform an a cappella concert program in four movements.

GFCC Senior Pastor the Rev. Dr. J. Anthony Lloyd said the Houghton College Choir’s appearance in the downtown Framingham church provides “a wonderful, wonderful opportunity to bring our two Christian communities together in celebration.’’

A graduate of Houghton College, he said the 80-year-old choir has earned a “world class reputation’’ singing in the sacred a cappella tradition across the U.S. and around the world.

“We are so blessed to have this critically acclaimed Houghton College Choir come to worship with us. GFCC and Houghton College are coming together from two different musical backgrounds for what is sure to be an uplifting concert,’’ said Lloyd. “While Houghton is rooted in the a cappella tradition, GFCC is largely based in the gospel music tradition so we look forward to bringing both traditions together on Palm Sunday.’’

The morning service and afternoon concert are free and open to people of all faiths.

Bringing the Houghton choir to Framingham has been a long-held dream for Lloyd who earned a bachelor’s degree in the ministry there. For 18 years, he has served on the college’s Board of Trustees.

He said the choir, which was formed in 1931, sings sacred music, performing complex vocal arrangements with “many parts going on at the same time.’’

Johnson described the choir as “the flagship’’ of the college’s six choral ensembles and the one which participates in “lots of extended touring and many major events.’’

For the Framingham concert, Johnson said the choir would perform a four-movement program about 80 minutes long with an intermission. Ranging from sophomores to graduate students, choir members perform in purple velvet robes.

A small orchestra including an organist, cellist and violinist will accompany the choir.

Johnson observed each of the program’s four movements corresponds to a special day during Holy Week, the time in the Christian year leading up to Easter and the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

“The first and last parts will be more exuberant and the second and third parts will be more contemplative,’’ he said.

Johnson described the first part as an “Exultation,’’ featuring songs sung to music by J.S. Bach, Felix Mendelssohn and others that recall Christ’s entry to Jerusalem. Growing somber, the second part will include a harpist accompanying a rendition of “Christ The Appletree’’ by contemporary composer Stanford Scriven.

Page 2 of 2 - After a brief intermission, the choir will sing “The Tree of Life,’’ celebrating Good Friday, the day of Christ’s passion before progressing to the fourth part with songs like “Above the Celestial Dark in Heaven’’ and “Sure On This Shining Night’’ by Morten Lauridsen.

Johnson said, “We believe in our music making. We want music to speak through us.’’

Lloyd said during the Sunday morning liturgy, the Houghton choir and GFCC Men’s Choir will both sing with the Men’s Choir closing out with a traditional praise song “Hosanna.’’

During their visit to Framingham, Houghton choir members with stay with GFCC congregants.

“There’s many ways to bring our different worlds together,’’ said Lloyd. “Raising our voices in praise is among the best.’’